What it really costs to build on raw land in southern Utah and northern Arizona

Short answer: on a raw parcel with no well, no septic, no power, and a dirt approach, the site work alone can run about $40,000 to well over $100,000 before a house goes up. The well and the power line are the two biggest unknowns, and either one can push the total higher.

Johnathan knows the ground best in Big Water and Kanab, Utah, and Page and Greenehaven, Arizona.

The figures below are published ranges for rural Kane County and southern Utah, with their sources named. They are not quotes. Arizona rules and costs differ by county and utility, so a real parcel needs a parcel-specific look.

Is this land buildable? Four questions to answer first

1. Water: Can you get a well, and in Utah, a water right to go with it?
2. Septic: Will the soil pass a perc test, and what kind of system will the health department require?
3. Power: How far is the nearest usable line, and what will the utility charge to extend it?
4. Access: Does the parcel have legal access, and what will a driveway take?

Zoning and building-permit approval come from the county and are a separate check.

Well and water costs

Utah has no domestic-well exemption. You need a valid water right and approval from the State Engineer before a licensed driller can drill, according to the Utah Division of Water Rights.

• Typical depth: 500 to 900 feet for Kane County wells (Utah Water Well Alliance, 2025).
• Drilling: about $35 to $60 per foot in southern Utah.
• Rig mobilization: $1,000 to $3,000 for remote Kane and Garfield County sites.
• Drilling alone in Kane County: $22,000 to $55,000.
• Pump system: $1,200 to $6,500.
• Total, drilled and equipped: about $30,000 to $70,000 or more.

Water rights: if the parcel has no right, you either apply for new water where the area is open, or buy part of an existing right and file a change application where it is closed. Both go through public notice and usually take several months. The state counts a full-time single household at 0.45 acre-foot for indoor use. Water-right prices depend on the basin and the seller, so we don't publish a number.

You can search existing water rights and nearby well logs free at the Utah Division of Water Rights.

Septic costs

The system you need depends on the perc test and soil. Installer and builder sources put:

• Conventional system: about $8,000 to $20,000.
• Mound, pressurized, or aerobic system: $15,000 to $45,000 or more.
• Perc test alone: $500 to $3,000.
• Perc, design, and permits together: $1,500 to $4,000.

The permit comes from the local health department, and the design must come from whoever the health department accepts for that role.

Power line costs

Garkane Energy is the likely utility around Big Water and much of Kane County. Under its policy, the applicant pays 100 percent of the line-extension cost. The application is $390 and non-refundable, the estimate takes about 30 business days, and estimates are valid for 30 days. Garkane publishes no per-foot rate.

National rough guides put line extension at $15,000 to $50,000 or more per mile (GoOffGrid) and co-op primary line at $15 to $35 per foot (Knightly Report). Treat those as rough. Only the utility can set the real number.

Driveway and access costs

Legal access comes first: does the parcel front a public road, or rely on an easement? A title company or real estate lawyer confirms that.

For the driveway itself, contractor sites in other states put rural gravel at about $10 to $35 per linear foot, more with culverts or drainage. There's no authoritative Utah or Arizona figure, so the honest answer for a real parcel comes from a site visit or a local contractor's past bids.

Adding it up: how much does it cost to build a house on raw land?

That's before the house. The house itself depends on what you build and is not covered here.

Who to call before you buy land in Utah or Arizona

1. The state water agency: area status and any water right on the parcel (in Utah, the Division of Water Rights).
2. A licensed well driller who works the area: likely depth and a drilling bid.
3. The electric utility: file the line-extension application to get a real power number.
4. The local health department: perc test and septic permit path.
5. A title company or real estate lawyer: legal access and easements.
6. A local site-work contractor for the driveway and dirt work.

Estimates only. This guide gives published ranges, not a bid, quote, survey, engineering or septic design, or legal advice. Utility line costs are set only by the utility. Buildable Land Consulting is owned by Johnathan Bagley, who also owns Grass Valley Excavation; Grass Valley Excavation may bid on or perform site work described here.